Jason's 3rd Birthday

Birthdays in our house seem to go on and on. We do a family event on the day and a friend party on a weekend close to the event. This year was no exception. We had a small cookout with my parents, Susan, Aunt Rosie and Uncle Roy. Maw Maw and Paw Paw couldn't come since they were sick and we missed them terribly but they came the next weekend and kept the festivities going. We also had to celebrate early with the Zanchelli clan since they made plans to be away for his birthday.

My mother and I made homemade cakes and my Dad decorated them all with amazing artistic ability I never knew he had. It was easier than I thought with the cool forms she borrowed from a friend. For fun activities, we set up a little pool and the kids had a blast splashing and running wild. All Jason had asked for were green race cars and Legos and Aunt Jean took the cake with the best green race car of the day! Mom and Dad got him and Ethan some retro Big Wheels like what we had when we were kids.

Some of my favorite moments were watching him open presents. He shared each one with Ethan and said it was more fun to open them together. They also had a huge amount of fun with the cards...especially the ones that sang. They were perfecting their dance moves all morning. Of course Jason needed little persuasion to blow out his candles....as soon as we got to the last sentence of the song he was blowing. And telling us how old he will be next year.

Roy actually predicted that I am having a girl. We will stay tuned on that one but I am still thinking boy. Everything feels the same as my other pregnancies except for all the pimples. Now the boys agree with Roy and had already been telling everyone that Mommy has a baby sister in her tummy. Jason already wants it to come out. Imagine how impatient he will be by October!

To finish the day we played the new Monkey Ball game on the Wii. I don't think I ever laughed so hard. The three main men in my life spent their evening pumping their arms up and down to get hot air balloons over the birds that might pop them. The kids loved it and Susan, my parents and I just couldn't get over it. I loved the bob sled runs myself but I am also a bit of a child at heart.

NY bound

I need my head examined. We drove with my parents and kids to NY on Friday and back on Sunday to attend my cousin's first communion. We are so isolated from most of the family here so when we have an opportunity for the boys to see their cousins and to have a little flavor for where I grew up and the type of family festivities we had, I jump. I think I had the heardest time with the trip being pregnant and needing frequent stops to stretch and use the rest room. It also appeared that I was at the height of my nausea and Wheat Thins were my best friend.

The kids on the other hand were so good in the car! We watched DVDs, played Leapfrog games, stopped for food and even took some naps. We first visited Aunt Marge and took the boys to a cute neighborhood pub in Queens. We ordered grown up food for them and fruity drinks with cherries so we could enjoy the feel. I think they liked watching the Yankee game the best. They did amazingly well in the retirement home being squeezed and kissed and were so wonderful to my Aunt. I know it breaks Mom's heart to be reminded of Grandma and aging and it wears on me too since it seems an entire generation is coming to a close.

Next, we headed to Westchester to the hotel and had the communion the next day. The boys were so charming and just loved seeing everyone. They danced with all the beautifully dressed little girls and were so social at the restaurant, we barely saw them!

After the luncheon, we went back to Danielle's house and the kids played in the yard. Jason slept most of the time in the car with Jeff sitting in there with him keeping watch. Ethan was being driven around by his cousin. He tried to drive the car as well but that didn't end well as he nearly went over an embankment. I never saw Shawn and Danielle run so fast and was so grateful they were able to get there and stop him. No more motorized vehicles for my kids! I think bubble wrap is in order.